Epilogue

~Two Months Later~

The man was leaning against the railing at the hotel, body sagging with exhaustion; dark hair hung in his face, his shoulders were slumped as if worn out. He was thin, almost gaunt, and dark circles were under his eyes.

"Leo?" a hesitant voice asked.

The man swiveled slightly.

"Mike?" he asked softly.

"Everyone's waiting bro…its not every day you get married ya' know," Miles replied.

"What about you?" Leo asked, "what about Jewel?"

"She wasn't the right one…as much as it hurt to lose her…if she wasn't willing to see me as me then…she wasn't worth my time," Miles replied sadly, "Plus bro…Yoshi's excited to see you as a human and Hana wants to see you…she misses you bro."

Leo looked away.

"It won't be the same…I'm a stranger to them now Mike…they won't know me…" Leo mumbled as he sank into a chair, looking away.

Leo stared at his hands and shivered.

"I don't know me," Leo mumbled.

Miles grabbed his brother's hands and gripped them, then dropped his head to be able to look his brother in the eye.

Leo had been deeply depressed over the past two months, cutting himself off from his family, hiding in the darkness of the hotel room they paid for him to have.

Miles had been the only one who had been able to get much of a response other than a mumbled word or two before a retreat into a back room.

"Come on bro," Miles urged, pulling his elder brother onto his feet and then into a hug.

"Let's go," he whispered, "your family is waiting."

Leo trembled but after swallowing, slowly, he nodded.

The door clicked closed behind them.

As Miles walked him down the hall with his brother he asked a question.

"Hey Leo…what was it that Shredder was looking for?" Miles questioned.

Leo shrugged slightly.

"Don't know," Leo replied.

"What?" Miles demanded.

"I don't know what it was…Sensei gave it to me to hide before he died…told me not to let Saki find it. Never told me what it was and the box was sealed…" Leo replied softly, "Sensei said it was dangerous…that's all I know."

Miles frowned.

"Did he even know what it was?" he asked.

Leo grinned, then chuckled, then burst out laughing causing Miles to give him a worried look.

"Uh…Leo?" he asked weakly.

"He had no clue…he just asked for the artifact," Leo laughed, "none of us knew what it was but we both…oh wow…"

Miles chuckled and shook his head., he smiled though, it was good to see Leo laughing again.

It was a sign that he would recover, that the family would be whole again.

A/N: And I leave you to ponder all the possible explanations as to what the "artifact" is… : ) Thanks to all of my reviewers!